Locomotive attachment



Oct. 17, 1933. J. A. OWENS ET AL 1,930,860

LOCOMOTIVE ATTACHMENT Fil ed Oct. 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jesse (E. 0 ans Wliw 6. WZUZZI'S Oct. 17, 1933. J. A. owEus ET AL LOCOMOTIVE ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jms'e (AZ. Owens Tz/fiks'. Wazm 5? mm M 61W Patented Oct. 17, 1933 ems LOCOMOTIVE ATTACHMENT JesseAllen Owens and Tullius Cicero Waters, Atlanta, Ga.

Application October 8, 1928. Serial No. 311,131

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in locomotive attachments, and more particularly refers to certain improvements in the steam line for the operation of power stokers on steam 5 locomotives.

tokers, as at present used on locomotives in this country, are operated by the use of two steam pipes connecting directly from the boiler; one such pipe being used to drive a mechanism to crush and carry the coal into the fire box, while the other pipe line is for the purpose of uniformly distributing coal over the entire grate area.

These steam pipe lines connecting directly from the boiler accomplish their purpose by two blast jets, one on each side of the fire box. In operating such distribution appliances, it is necessary to constantly watch and very often change the adjustment of the globe valves, which regulate the flow of steam to the appliances, due to the frequent variation in boiler pressure, which is more pronounced in locomotive services than in any other known service, and this results from the uneven load on the boiler.

The object of the invention is to supply a uniform steam pressure the distributing jets at all times regardless of the variations in boiler pressure.

Further objects of the invention are to secure economy of fuel, the avoiding of bank fires with the consequent loss or" power, and to guarantee against ineii'icient firing by new or inexperienced operators and by carelessness of experienced operators.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinaiter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended he etc.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a locomotive boiler udth parts broken away, showing the improved appliances connected with the stoker steam lines,

these jets 8 communicate the steam pipes 9 and 10. These steam pipes or lines connect, according to the usual practice, with the boiler and have valves for regulating the flow of boiler steam to the jets. In accordance with the present invention, the pipes 9 and 10 connect with a small reservoir 11 for the steam. As shown in the drawings, a T-coupling 12 connects the two pipe lines 9 and 10 with a single pipe 13,

which is in turn coupled to one side of the reservoir 11. This reservoir 11 receives steam from the steam space of the locomotive boiler indicated, at 14, through a pipe 15 having the control valve 15 therein. The two pipe lines 9 and 10 carry gauges 1'7 and 18 to show the steam pressure therein. The valve 16 is preferably an automatic steam governing valve which will maintain av predetermined pressure in the reservoir 11. The valve 16 may be of any adaptable type and may be of the form shown in the U. S. Patent No. 234,051 to C. Moore and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsat 16 by way of example. Figure 3 shows this valve 16 in detail and wherein the body of the valve has an inlet passage 19 connected to the boiler pipe 15 and an outlet passage 20 leading to the reservoir 11. The passages 19 and 20 open into the lower end of a chamber 21 the valve body. A valve member 22 seats against the inner end of the inlet passage 19 and has a connection 23 with a diaphragm 24 extending across the chamber 21 for seating the valve member 22 when pressure beneath the diaphragm reaches a predetermined amount. A stem 25 is carried by the diaphragm 24 and extends outwardly therefrom and carries a spring 26 which is compressed to the desired degree against the diaphragm 24 by a hollow screw plug 27 threaded in the outer portion of the valve body 16. Adjustment of the screw plug 27 determines the pressure of steam through 95 the outlet passage 20 and consequently maintains a uniformly constant pressure of steam in the reservoir 11. In the operation of the device, steam flows from the steam space of the boiler to and through the steam regulator or reducer 16, by which a reduction in pressure is efiected in the reservoir 11 over the boiler pressure. The valve 16 may be set for any predetermined pressure, for instanc 50 to pounds lower than the maximum carried in the boiler, thereby insuring an equal and steady distribution over the entire grate area. The steam in the reservoir will flow uniformly and at even pressure to the two pipe lines 9 and 10. This even pressure will be mainstoker, pipe lines to the steam jets, a uniform pressure reservoir having an outlet pipe at its lower end communicating with the pipe lines leading to the steam jets and-having an inlet pipe at its upper end. leading to the steam space of the boiler, and an adjustable reducer valve carried by said inlet pipe and interposed between the boiler and the reservoir to regulate the passage of steam therethrough and automatically maintain a uniform pressure in the reservoir irrespective of fluctuations in the boiler pressure.

JESSE ALLEN OWENS. TULLIUS CICERO WATERS. 

